Human Body

A leech's saliva has a numbing chemical so that its victim cannot feel its bite. Its saliva also has a chemical that dilates blood vessels around the wound, allowing more blood to flow. A third chemical, hirudin, prevents blood from clotting. When the leech is full, it drops off\x97but because of hirudin, the wound can ooze blood for up to 24 hours. Leeches can eat five times their body weight in blood.

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